Oaxaca Need 11 Innings to Beat Leones de Yucatan 5-2

GUERREROS ADVANCE TO ZONA SUR CHAMPIONSHIP WITH EXCITING GAME 7 WIN

The Guerreros de Oaxaca needed 11 innings to overcome the Leones de Yucatan but the wait, and the excitement were worth it. With the 7th game win, the Guerreros move on to face the Diablos Rojos del Mexico in the Zona Sur Championship round of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol  (LMB)

The teams combined used 16 pitchers, 7 by Oaxaca and 9 by Yucatan. These pitchers threw 368 pitches (240 for strikes), gave up 21 hits, surrendered 2 doubles, a triple and 2 home runs while striking out 25 opponents. They had good control of those pitches, walking just 5 over 22 innings.

Carlos Felix

Carlos Felix was the beneficiary of the runs scored by Oaxaca in the 11th inning, having worked the final 2 1/3 innings, holding the Leones hitless while striking out 2.

Andres Meza (0-1) took the loss. He worked the final 1 2/3 innings for the Leones and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits, including a home run in the 11th inning.

Singles by Henry Urrutia and Dustin Geiger started the top of the 2nd inning for the Guerreros. Julian Ornelas' sacrifice bunt was misplayed by the Leones first baseman to load the bases. Samar Leyva hit a sac fly to left to drive in Urrutia and give the Guerreros a 1-0 lead. Oaxaca loaded the bases again in the inning but were unable to score.

Julian Ornelas singled to begin the top of the 4th, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by Alejandro Gonzalez. Oaxaca led 2-0.

The Guerreros loaded the bases again in the top of the 5th but couldn't push any runs across.

Leo Heras hit a 330' home run to right just inside the foul pole to start the bottom of the 5th for Yucatan that cut the lead to 2-1.

Leo Heras

Ricardo Serrano singled in the bottom of the 7th. Diego Madero was inserted as a pinch runner for Serrano. Madero moved to second on a sacrificed bunt and scored on a single to right by Heras.

There was no scoring by either team until the 11th inning.

Samar Leyvetripled to lead off the top of the 11th for Oaxaca. One out later Leyva scored on a single by Alan Sanchez. Following a strikeout by Yordanys Linares, Jay Austin, hitting just .200 for the series, launched a 2 run home run to right center that put the icing on the cake for Oaxaca and a dagger to the heart of the Leones.

Jay Austin

Oaxaca took this hard fought series from the Leones in 7 games and will now face the Diablos Rojos del Mexico in a best of 7 series for the Zona Sur Championship and the right to face the winner of the Zona Norte series between the Acereros de Monclova and the Sultanes de Monterrey.